An Indian Army T-90 tank during a desert drill.
New Delhi: In order to give a fillip to the government’s ambitious initiative “Make in India” programme, the defence ministry (MoD) signed a pact with Bharat Earth Movers Limited for procurement of track-width mine Plough (TWMP) for the Indian Army’s main battle, tank T-90, on Monday. The Army would procure 1,512 TWMPs for the tanks, which would cost around ₹557 crore.
The contract has “Buy and Make (Indian)” categorization with a minimum of 50 per cent indigenous content in the “make” portion of the contract, the MoD said in a statement.
These mine ploughs will be fitted on T-90 tanks of the Indian Army’s armoured corps, which will facilitate individual mobility to tanks while negotiating minefields.
Out of 1,512 mine ploughs, BEML will supply 100 of them within 12 months, 250 in subsequent years. The order will be completed within 7 years. This de-mine equipment has been tested on different soil conditions, like in desert terrain and elsewhere, and customized for Indian operations.
Speaking on this, Deepak Kumar Hota, chairman and managing director of BEML, said, “We are proud to be associated with MoD to enhance the combat capability of the Indian Army. This is another example of BEML’s capability to meet the specific requirements of our armed forces. BEML signifies the true spirit of ‘Make in India’ and enabler for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India).”
The mobility of the tank fleet’s without fear of anti-tank mines will enhance the tanks’ effectiveness manyfold as it would extend the reach of the armoured formation deep into enemy territory without becoming a mine causality.
With the induction of these 1,512 mine ploughs, planned to be completed by 2027, the combat capability of the Army will be further enhanced.
The Army recently deployed the Russian-origin T-90 main battle tanks in Ladakh’s Galwan valley amid the face-off with Chinese troops.
[This story has been updated with the quote of the BEML CMD.]
